Police Blotter: Bloomfield teen robbed, beaten, burned

SAN JUAN COUNTY, N.M.

On Oct. 4, deputies with San Juan County Sheriff’s Office (New Mexico) were notified that a 17-year-old male was beaten and robbed in the hills north of Bloomfield.

The victim stated that he had $600 and wanted to buy some “hash.” He met with some people he knew who were going to add money to help pay for the drug.

According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, the victim was picked up and taken to the hills north of Bloomfield where he started to get nervous. The driver, 18-year-old Epifanio “Eppie” Montoya of Lee Acres, New Mexico, said they were just going to smoke marijuana prior to going, the victim told deputies. When they got to the hills, 16-year-old Dietrick Franklin had Montoya stop and he got out of the vehicle. Montoya then allegedly reached around and stabbed the victim in the leg. Dietrick then started to yell for the victim to get out of the vehicle while he was also holding a knife, the victim told deputies.

Once out of the vehicle, the victim said, Montoya and Dietrick took two cell phones and $600 in cash off of him. Dietrick then allegedly bound the victim with ratchet straps while Eppie held a knife to his throat.

The victim relayed that once he was bound, Dietrick started to heat up an 8-inch round piece of metal with a blowtorch and repeatedly rolled it across his back while both Montoya and Dietrick kept repeating that they were going to kill him.

The victim relayed that they put a plastic bag over his nose and mouth trying to suffocate him. At one point while the bag was on his face, Montoya allegedly said, “Will you just die already?”

Montoya and Dietrick eventually untied the victim and allegedly told him if he told anyone what happened that they would kill him. They also said if he wanted his phones back he was to bring them $300 the next day.
Montoya and Dietrick were located at their house and were taken into custody.

Detectives obtained a warrant for Montoya for first-degree abuse of a child (resulting in great bodily harm), kidnapping (1st degree), armed robbery (2nd degree), extortion (3rd degree), and intimidation of a witness (3rd degree). Montoya was booked into San Juan County Detention Center with a $500,000.00 cash only bond.

Franklin, also of Lee Acres, was booked into San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center on kidnapping (1st degree), attempted murder (2nd degree), armed robbery (2nd degree), intimidation of a witness (3rd degree), and extortion (3rd degree).

---